Big Ten Network : Wisconsin Top Stories

Badgers earn No. 4 seed, face Wofford

Sun, 14 Mar 2010 18:07:00 +0000

MADISON, Wis. -- The Wisconsin men's basketball team (23-8) received a No. 4 seed in the East Region and will face 13th-seeded Wofford (27-8) in the first round of the 2010 NCAA Tournament on Friday at the Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Fla. UW will be making its 12th consecutive appearance in the Big Dance. The Badgers have never been a No. 4 seed for the NCAA tournament. It will be the second all-time meeting between the Badgers and Terriers, with the teams' previous matchup coming on Dec. 3, 2007. Wisconsin won that game, 70-43, at the Kohl Center. Wofford enters the NCAA tournament as the Southern Conference champion after defeating Appalachian State in the SoCon title game last weekend. The winner of UW's first-round game will meet the winner of the game between No. 5 seed Temple and No. 12 seed Cornell on Sunday, March 21. Important News Regarding NCAA Men's Basketball First/Second Round Tournament Tickets: The Wisconsin Athletic Ticket Office will be accepting requests for first/second round tickets beginning Sunday, March 14 at 7 p.m., and ending Monday, March 15 at 1 p.m. online at www.UWBadgers.com. For your convenience, requests will also be accepted by phone on Monday, March 15 from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. by calling 1.800.GO BADGERS. Requests will only be accepted from Coach's Club level donors (minimum $1,000 donated in 2009) and above. Donors will be notified as to the status of their request on Monday afternoon. If tickets remain after the initial offering to donors at the Coach's Club level and above, tickets will be sold to all donors and season ticket-holders on a first-come, first-served basis beginning at 1 p.m., while supplies last. First round tickets are $72. If Wisconsin advances, second round tickets will also be $72. Patrons will automatically receive second round tickets if and only if Wisconsin wins its first round game. Visit www.UWBadgers.com for more information.

Illinois scores key tourney win

Fri, 12 Mar 2010 10:28:00 +0000

; INDIANAPOLIS (AP)—Mike Tisdale scored 21 points and Demetri McCamey had 13 as fifth-seeded Illinois hung on for a 58-54 upset of No. 13 Wisconsin in Friday's Big Ten tournament quarterfinals. The Fighting Illini (19-13) are hoping the win solidifies their NCAA hopes. Illinois faces No. 5 Ohio State in Saturday's semifinals. After sharing the regular-season title with No. 6 Purdue and No. 11 Michigan State, the top-seeded Buckeyes needed a 37-foot buzzer-beater from Big Ten player of the year Evan Turner to eliminate Michigan 69-68. It was nearly as tough for Illinois. Wisconsin (23-8) was led by Trevon Hughes and Jon Leuer, each with 14 points. Hughes led a frantic flurry in the closing minutes that got the Badgers in position to force overtime. But Jason Bohannon's 3-pointer with 15.9 seconds left clanked off the front of the rim, Mike Davis grabbed the rebound for Illinois, made 1 of 2 free throws and the Illini hung on. The loss ended Wisconsin's four-game winning streak and prevented coach Bo Ryan from earning his 600th career win. But it was a surprise the Badgers were that close after shooting 28.6 percent from the field in the game and going 6 of 33 from the field in the first half. Illinois took its biggest lead of the game at 46-30 when Brandon Paul hit a 3-pointer with 6:44 left. That's when the Badgers finally jump-started. Jordan Taylor and Bohannon hit back-to-back 3s and Leuer followed with a 19-footer to make it 46-38 with 3:58 to go. The Illini rebuilt a 50-38 lead, but then Hughes almost single-handedly shot the Badgers back into the game. Hughes and Keaton Nankivil knocked down five consecutive 3s for Wisconsin, the last coming when the 6-foot guard hit an arching rainbow jumper over 6-foot-9 Bill Cole with 31.4 seconds left. Suddenly, the Badgers were within 56-54. Hughes fouled out on Illinois' next possession, sending Jeff Jordan to the free-throw line. Jordan made the first but missed the second, giving Bohannon a chance to tie it from the right wing. But Bohannon missed, Davis grabbed the loose ball and the Badgers never got another chance to tie it.

Badgers roll to close out tourney

Sun, 14 Mar 2010 12:33:00 +0000

STILLWATER, Okla. -- A five-run lead wasn't enough for the Wisconsin. The Badgers kept piling the runs on until they had finished off a 10-2 landslide of Prairie View A&M (0-16) on Sunday at Cowgirl Stadium. Katie Soderberg drove in four Badgers (7-12) runners. Soderberg walked in the first inning scoring Whitney Massey and homered in the fourth inning scoring Dana Rasmussen and Karia Powell. The Badgers offense was spurred by a home run from Molly Spence in the fourth, in addition to Soderberg's home run. Letty Olivarez got the victory for Wisconsin. She allowed one run over two innings. The freshman pitcher struck out four, gave up no walks and surrendered one hit. Kelli Scruggs took the loss for Prarie View A&M. She went 3 1/3 innings, gave up eight walks, struck out two, and allowed nine runs. Prarie View A&M brought out the artillery in the second and fourth innings. The Panthers were trailing by five in the second when Sarah Prado came to the plate against Olivarez with no outs and nobody on base, and knocked a solo-shot out of the park. After Evelyn Merino was hit by a pitch and Scruggs singled, the Panthers were trailing by five in the fourth when Lauren Grun came to the plate against Kristyn Hansen with two outs and runners on first and third. She singled scoring Merino from third. Spence and Massey helped lead the Badgers. They combined for three hits, four RBIs and three runs scored. An explosive first was key for the Badgers. They racked up five runs. In addition to Soderberg's walk, Scruggs gave up two runs on a Massey single. Later that inning, runs came in when Powell came home on a passed ball and Olivarez singled. Powered by Narrative Science Inc.

Scarlet Knights comeback stuns Badgers

Sat, 13 Mar 2010 21:34:00 +0000

STILLWATER, Okla. -- Things looked bleak for the Scarlet Knights when they trailed by four runs in the fourth inning, but Rutgers recovered thanks to a key double in the sixth inning from Mandy Craig to pull out an 8-5 victory over the Wisconsin Badgers (6-13) at Cowgirl Stadium on Saturday. After Mickenzie Alden reached on a fielding error by shortstop Jordan Skinner, Lindsey Curran singled and Alden struck out, the Scarlet Knights (7-12) were trailing by three when Ashley Bragg came to the plate against Meghan McIntosh with no outs and runners on second and third, but she walked. That moment in the fourth inning turned the game around and set up Rutgers's opportunity to claim the victory in the sixth. After Bragg walked, Brittney Lindley walked and Mikelyn Messina walked, the Scarlet Knights were trailing by one when Craig came to the plate against Letty Olivarez with one out and the bases loaded. She doubled, clearing the bases, which gave the Scarlet Knights the lead for good. Craig drove in four Scarlet Knights runners. She went 2-4 at the plate. Wisconsin was unable to make good contact against Nicole Lindley. The Badgers managed only three hits off of the freshman pitcher. Lindley allowed one earned run, three walks and struck out five during her 5 2/3 innings of work. Olivarez took the loss for Wisconsin. She went six innings, gave up three walks, struck out two, and allowed five runs. Rutgers got the victory even though Holly Johnson managed to get through just 1 1/3 innings before being removed. She allowed three hits and four runs. Five runs made the second an important inning for the Badgers. In the inning, Johnson gave up three runs on a Jennifer Krueger triple. Later that inning, runs came in when Krueger came home on an illegal pitch and Whitney Massey singled. The Scarlet Knights knocked in six runs in the sixth. In addition to Lindley's walk, Messina's walk and Craig's double, Olivarez gave up one run on a Kylee Bishop single. Powered by Narrative Science Inc.

Badgers pummel Prairie View A&M

Sat, 13 Mar 2010 13:53:00 +0000

STILLWATER, Okla. -- A seven-run lead wasn't enough for the Wisconsin. The Badgers kept piling the runs on until they had finished off a 13-1 landslide of Prairie View A&M (0-14) on Saturday at Cowgirl Stadium. Shannel Blackshear drove in four Badgers (6-12) runners. She went 3-4 at the plate. Blackshear doubled in the first and third innings scoring Jordan Skinner and homered in the fourth inning scoring Skinner. Prarie View A&M was unable to make good contact against Kristyn Hansen. The Panthers managed only one hit off of the freshman pitcher. Hansen allowed no earned runs, four walks and struck out three during her five innings of work. The Badgers offense was spurred by a home run from Molly Spence in the first, in addition to Blackshear's home run. Brittanie Gardner took the loss for Prarie View A&M. She went 3 1/3 innings, gave up six walks, struck out four, and allowed 13 runs. Skinner, Spence and Dana Rasmussen helped lead the Badgers. They combined for four hits, seven runs batted in and six visits to home plate. Five runs made the fourth an important inning for the Badgers. In addition to Blackshear's home run, Gardner gave up two runs on a Rasmussen double. Later that inning, a run came in when Skinner tripled. Powered by Narrative Science Inc.

UNLV hands Boilermakers loss

Fri, 12 Mar 2010 20:56:00 +0000

LAKEWOOD, Calif. -- The UNLV Rebels jumped on the Purdue Boilermakers early on their way to a 7-3 win on Friday at Mayfield Park in the Long Beach State Invitational. The Rebels (15-8) scored five runs in the first inning. In the inning Paige Emerson came home on an illegal pitch. Later that inning, runs came in when Alyssia De la torre and Laura Briones flew out, Tara Bendt came home on an illegal pitch and Tayler Aleman singled. Ashli Holland drove in two Rebels runners. She went 2-3 at the plate. Holland singled in the second and fourth innings scoring Bendt. Kylie Wagner got the win for UNLV. She allowed three runs over seven innings. The sophomore pitcher struck out three, gave up one walk and surrendered nine hits. Suzie Rzegocki failed to record an out in the circle for the Boilermakers before being replaced. She allowed no hits and three runs. Purdue brought out the artillery in the first and third innings. In the first, Wagner gave up one run on a Maia Monchek groundout. Later that inning, a run came in when Erika Petruzzi singled. After Jenna Alexander singled and Petruzzi walked in the third, the Boilermakers were trailing by four when Shelby Krammer came to the plate against Wagner with two outs and runners on first and second. She grounded out scoring Alexander from second. Purdue's next game is on Friday, March 12 against Long Beach State in Long Beach, Calif. in the Long Beach State Invitational. Powered by Narrative Science Inc.

Espinosa lifts Cowgirls to win over Badgers

Fri, 12 Mar 2010 19:20:00 +0000

STILLWATER, Okla. -- Friday was a great day for Oklahoma State's Kat Espinosa. She led the No. 20 Oklahoma State Cowgirls to a 9-1 victory over the Wisconsin Badgers (5-12) at Cowgirl Stadium. Ten strikeouts helped Espinosa get the win for Oklahoma State (16-6). She allowed one earned run on two hits and one walk over seven innings. A key to Espinosa's strong performance was her solid pitching with runners on base. She allowed no hits in two at bats. The biggest inning for the Cowgirls was the seventh inning. In the inning Oklahoma State scored six runs. In the inning, reliever Meghan McIntosh gave up two runs on a Megan Castle double. Later that inning, two runs came in when Alysia Hamilton singled and runs came in when Katelyn Bright doubled and Sam Heinlein singled. Karia Powell had a good game at the plate for the Badgers. She went 1-3, scored one run and drove in one run. Powell homered in the fifth inning. Letty Olivarez took the loss for Wisconsin. She went six innings, gave up three walks, struck out one, and allowed five runs. Mariah Gearhart, Hamilton, Tamara Brown and Castle helped lead the Cowgirls. They combined for nine hits, seven RBIs and four runs scored. Powered by Narrative Science Inc.

Taylor, Leuer help Wisconsin send Illinois to defeat

Sun, 7 Mar 2010 13:09:00 +0000

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- The first time Wisconsin and Illinois met this season, the Illini couldn't miss on the way to winning their fifth straight. Badger forward Jon Leuer missed that game with a broken wrist and Jordan Taylor struggled with eight points. Sunday was a different story. Leuer and Taylor had 20 points apiece as the 17th-ranked Badgers won 72-57, dealing the Fighting Illini's NCAA tournament hopes a significant blow. "Jordan Taylor, what are you going to say?" Wisconsin coach Bo Ryan said. "His heart's twice as big as he is." "Leuer's obviously a great player," Illinois forward Bill Cole added. "He hurt us a little bit in the first half, parts of the second half. He's a big difference in their team." Wisconsin's win gave the Badgers (23-7, 13-5 Big Ten) the No. 4 seed in the conference tournament, meaning they'll face the Illini again on Friday in Indianapolis. While the Badgers are a lock for the NCAA tournament, the Illini (18-13, 10-8) are probably in must-win mode. They have lost five of six and could miss the NCAAs for the second time in three seasons. Wisconsin led by as many as 16 midway through the second half, but the Illini, according to coach Bruce Weber, wasted a chance to climb back in the game. Leuer and Trevon Hughes -- who finished with 14 points and a game-high 11 rebounds -- both headed to the bench within about three minutes of each other midway through the half after picking up their fourth fouls. That gave the Illini, trailing 54-38, their best shot. In the 2½ minutes they sat, Illinois cut a 14-point gap to nine, with Cole hitting two free throws to close within 54-43. A couple minutes later, Cole hit a 3-pointer that made it 55-48. Before the crowd had a chance to settle back into their seats, Mike Davis stole the ball from Leuer, setting up a break that ended with a foul on Mike Tisdale, sending the 7-1 center to the line for a pair of free throws that cut the lead to 55-50. Weber brought his team to the bench and reminded them the win was there for the taking. "I said, 'You're going to have one opportunity to grab the game. You've got to play smart on both ends of the court,'" Weber said. "And we have three straight possessions on the other end -- two air balls and a turnover on the offensive end. "Sooner or later against a good team, they're going to grab the game. And that's what happened." Keaton Nankivil put back a free throw miss by Hughes with 5:27 to play to stretch the Badger lead back to 57-50, and over the next three possessions, the Badgers held Illinois to only a pair of free throws while extending the lead to 60-52. The Badgers held the Illini to seven points over the last seven minutes. Illinois was 2-9 from the floor over that stretch and 16 of 45 (35.6 percent) for the game. Wisconsin hit 41.9 percent of its shots (26 of 62). Ryan gave credit to his bench, which let Illinois close the gap but kept the Badgers in the lead while Leuer and Hughes were out of the game. "They did a pretty good job of making sure that it didn't get to the point where they caught us or got ahead of us," he said. "They stepped up big." Tisdale led Illinois with 16 points and Cole had 14. Midway through the first half, Illinois looked like it might give the Badgers a run. The Illini temporarily fixed an early rebounding drought -- one that allowed the Badgers to take almost twice as many shots as the Illini in the game's first 10 minutes -- and took their first lead at 15-14 with 8:18 to play in the first half on a jump shot by Tisdale. The teams traded leads four times over the next five minutes before the Badgers pulled away again, thanks in part to their rebounding. Wisconsin finished the game with a 40-30 edge on the boards and Illinois had only eight offensive rebounds. When the Illini beat the Badgers 63-56 last month in Madison, Wisconsin shot 35.8 percent while Illinois was an efficient 53 percent from the floor. Since then, the Illini have struggled with poor shooting and now Weber has to find a way to fix the problem if they want to stay with the Badgers in the Big Ten tournament. "They've got one last chance to make the season a positive," Weber said. "But we've got to play smarter."

Stolen base helps Wisconsin earn late win

Fri, 12 Mar 2010 14:48:00 +0000

STILLWATER, Okla. -- Jordan Skinner stole home to give Wisconsin the lead in the fifth inning and the Badgers hung on to beat Rutgers 6-2 on Friday. Eight strikeouts helped Letty Olivarez get the win for Wisconsin (5-11). She allowed no earned runs on five hits and two walks over seven innings. The big game came as a surprise from Olivarez, she has struggled at baffling hitters this season. She has struck out 5.79 batters per nine innings this season. On the season she has 55 strikeouts and 37 walks. The freshman pitcher has allowed 84 hits in 73 innings pitched. Karia Powell drove in two Badgers runners. Powell homered in the fifth inning scoring Whitney Massey. The big game came as a surprise from Powell, who has been average this season with a OPS of .789. On the season she has 11 hits in 36 at bats. She has driven in five runners and scored four runs. Noelle Sisco took the loss for Rutgers (5-11). She went three innings, gave up one walk, struck out three, and allowed one run. Powered by Narrative Science Inc.

UW men snap skid, spank Marquette

Wed, 10 Mar 2010 22:54:00 +0000

MADISON, Wis. – The Badgers broke a three-match skid by dominating Marquette in a 6-1 victory over the Golden Eagles Wednesday evening. With the win, the Badgers (8-4) remain unblemished at home with a 7-0 record at the Nielsen Tennis Stadium. "It definitely feels good to get a win and get this team back on track from where we want to go this year," Head Coach Greg Van Emburgh said. "You always want to feel good going into the conference season. Marquette is a solid team and they put up a great fight for us tonight." The No. 38-ranked Wisconsin Badgers got off to a quick lead by snatching the doubles point over Marquette. Senior Michael Dierberger and freshman Ricardo Martin set the tone for the Badgers with a swift 8-1 victory over Niko Boulieris and Octavio Perim. Senior Moritz Baumann paired up with sophomore Patrick Pohlmann to finish next for Wisconsin at the No. 1 doubles position. The duo followed suit with an 8-1 victory over Jacob Straus and Dusan Medan to secure the doubles point. At the No. 2 position, senior Luke Rassow-Kantor and junior Marek Michalicka fell to Mark Rutherford and Jonathan Schwerin in a close 8-4 match. "Doubles is one of the key elements to our season," Van Emburgh said. "We want to make sure that when we go out on the doubles court to play that first match, we are ready to play and take that first point. We're definitely making progress and getting there." The Badgers compounded their doubles point by claiming five of the six singles matches. Wisconsin saw wins from No. 21-ranked Michalicka who played at the No. 1 singles spot for the fourth time this season. The senior continued his undefeated singles record to 9-0 by taking out No. 84-ranked Medan 6-3, 6-4. No. 13 Baumann also had a clean 6-2, 6-4 victory over Rutherford in the No. 2 slot. Pohlmann played at the No. 3 position to defeat Boulieris 6-4, 7-5. Billy Bertha dug deep against his opponent to pull out a tough three-set victory over Straus at the No. 5 spot. Wisconsin also saw an easy 6-4, 6-3 win from freshman Chris Freeman over Jonathan Schwerin. Although Dierberger battled back to a tiebreak from a 2-5 deficit in the third set, he eventually fell to Perim in a tough 5-7, 6-2, 6-7 (7-4) match. In four days the Badgers are back in action with a doubleheader against No. 70-ranked Illinois State and Western Illinois. These are the last two dual matches before the Badgers begin Big Ten Conference competition against Illinois on March 21. "It was definitely a match I feel we can build on with the intensity factor and momentum factor trying to get into our conference season against Illinios," Van Emburgh said. #38 Wisconsin 6, Marquette 1 Singles competition 1. #21 Marek Michalicka (WIS) def. #84 Dusan Medan (MAR) 6-3, 6-4 2. #13 Moritz Baumann (WIS) def. Mark Rutherford (MAR) 6-2, 6-4 3. Patrick Pohlmann (WIS) def. Niko Boulieris (MAR) 6-4, 7-5 4. Billy Bertha (WIS) def. Jacob Straus (MAR) 6-3 (7-3), 7-6 5. Otavio Perim (MAR) def. Michael Dierberger (WIS) 7-5, 2-6, 7-6 (7-4) 6. Chris Freeman (WIS) def. Jonathan Schwerin (MAR) 6-4, 6-3 Doubles competition 1. Moritz Baumann/Patrick Pohlmann (WIS) def. Jacob Straus/Dusan Medan (MAR) 8-1 2. Mark Rutherford/Jonathan Schwerin (MAR) def. Luke Rassow-Kantor/Marek Michalicka (WIS) 8-4 3. Ricardo Martin/Michael Dierberger (WIS) def. Niko Boulieris/Otavio Perim (MAR) 8-1

Bielema completes staff, hires Jackson

Sun, 7 Mar 2010 18:31:00 +0000

MADISON, Wis. -- Greg Jackson, a former 12-year veteran of the NFL, has been named nickel back and assistant linebackers coach for the Wisconsin football team, head coach Bret Bielema announced Sunday. Jackson has seven years of experience as an assistant coach at the collegiate level, including the last three at Tulane. "The experience Greg brings as a player and a coach and the leadership he has shown in both positions makes him a perfect fit for our staff," head coach Bret Bielema said. "He is a wonderful addition and I look forward to seeing him work with our defense and special teams." Jackson coached Tulane's safeties, nickel backs and kickoff team in 2009, the linebackers in 2008 and the safeties and nickel backs in 2007. Prior to going to Tulane he spent three seasons as the defensive backs coach at Louisiana-Monroe, where he coached all-Sun Belt Conference defensive back Chris Harris, who led the country with seven interceptions in 2004. Two of Jackson's top pupils at ULM -- Kevin Payne and Chaz Williams -- received invitations to the 2007 NFL Combine. Payne was a two-time all-Sun Belt Conference selection as a defensive back after earning the honor as a freshman at running back. Williams earned all-Sun Belt honors as a junior when he led the league in interceptions. Jackson joined the ULM staff after one season as secondary coach at Idaho, where he coached the Vandal defensive backs to a No. 31 national ranking in pass defense, up from No. 111 the season before he arrived. "I'm very excited to be a part of the Wisconsin Badger football program," Jackson said. "It's a great situation for me to join a winning football team that has been successful for a number of years. I'm eager to get started and help in any way I can." Jackson was a third-round draft choice of the New York Giants in 1989 and was a member of the Giants' 1991 Super Bowl championship team. In 1994, he went to the Philadelphia Eagles for two seasons, and played the New Orleans Saints (1996) and San Diego Chargers (1997-2001). Jackson's leadership abilities were recognized often and early during his playing career. He was one of five captains of the 1988 LSU team and after only three years in professional football, he was voted team captain of the Giants in 1992 and 1993. He was also voted the Giants' Player of the Year for activities outside football in 1993. He was captain of the 1996 Eagles and was special teams captain for San Diego in 1998 and 2000. Jackson enjoyed a great career at LSU from 1985-88, helping the Tigers to a combined 36-10-2. LSU won Southeastern Conference championships in 1986 and 1988, and played in bowl games every year. Jackson, a safety, was a first-team All-American in 1988, leading the nation with seven interceptions. His 219 interception return yards is the second-highest single-season total in SEC history and he tied an NCAA record by returning an interception 100 yards against Mississippi State. A native of Miami, Fla., Jackson earned a bachelor's degree in communications broadcasting from Fairleigh Dickinson University in 2004. Jackson and his wife Dina, have two children, Greg Jr. and Jayden, while his oldest son, Jamal, is a football student-athlete at Appalachian State University.

Minnesota upsets No. 3 Wisconsin, 6-1

Sun, 7 Mar 2010 16:36:00 +0000

Tony Lucia and Mike Carman each scored two goals as Minnesota had five power play goals and sent its senior class out in style with a 6-1 win over third-ranked Wisconsin on Sunday. Lucia had two goals and an assist, while Carman had two goals and two assists in the Gophers' regular season-ending victory and final home game at Mariucci Arena. Minnesota was already assured of the seventh seed in the upcoming Western Collegiate Hockey Association playoffs, while Wisconsin entered the day locked into the second seed. The Gophers conclude the regular season with a 17-17-2 record and a 12-14-2 league mark. Wisconsin enters the playoffs at 22-9-4 overall and 17-8-3 in the WCHA. Minnesota will play a best-of-three series at North Dakota starting on Friday, while Wisconsin will host Minnesota State. The Badgers had won four straight games and were averaging 4.03 goals per game entering Sunday's contest. Minnesota finished the day five-for-eight on the power play, marking its most power play goals in a game since scoring five against Minnesota State on Dec. 1, 2006. It was Minnesota's largest margin of victory against Wisconsin and most goals against the Badgers since an 8-1 win on Feb. 15, 2003. The Gophers scored three power play goals during a penalty-filled second period that saw Wisconsin commit seven penalties for 22 minutes. Minnesota added two more power play goals in the third period when Blake Geoffrion was called for two penalties on the same play after Wisconsin was already shorthanded, giving the Gophers a short-lived five-on-three and two more power plays. The only goal of the first period came from Carman on a scrum in front of the net at the 16:01 mark. Kevin Wehrs took a shot that Wisconsin goaltender Brett Bennett was unable to corral and Carman fought the puck away and pushed it across for a goal. Nick Larson also assisted the play. Wisconsin tied the game at 8:04 of the second period, shortly before the Badgers' barrage of penalties began. Michael Davies notched the goal with assists from Derek Stepan and Jake Gardiner. Minnesota had a flurry of three goals in a span of 2:35 that were all on the power play. The first came shortly after a five-on-three expired as Tony Lucia scored by tipping in a puck off a shot from Patrick White at the nine-minute mark. Carman also had an assist on the play. Jacob Cepis put the Gophers ahead 3-1 with an easy finish of a deflected shot by Mike Hoeffel. Cade Fairchild took a shot from the left point that Hoeffel pushed off to the right of the crease where Cepis stood wide open for the goal. Lucia finished Minnesota's three-goal outbreak with a wrister from the slot into the upper left corner of the net at 13:35 of the period. Carman and Fairchild each had assists on the play. Wisconsin had a five-on-three power play of its own for 47 seconds in the third period after a pair of overlapping penalties by the Gophers, but the Badgers were unable to score on the lengthy man-advantage. Wisconsin was 0-for-6 on the power play for the game. Nick Leddy put Minnesota ahead 5-1 at the 12:24 mark with assists from Hoeffel and Cepis. Carman added another goal just over a minute later for his first career four-point game. Aaron Ness and Lucia each assisted the play. Lucia's three points matched his career high set twice this season, including Nov. 7 at Wisconsin. Minnesota owned a 28-27 advantage in shots for the game as Alex Kangas made 26 saves for the Gophers and Bennett stopped 22 shots for Wisconsin. The Badgers entered the weekend averaging 38.2 shots per game and had 23 shots on Friday's game before their 27 on Sunday.

Wisconsin completes sweep of Michigan Tech

Sat, 6 Mar 2010 14:12:00 +0000

HOUGHTON, Mich.—The Wisconsin men's hockey team (21-8-4, 16-7-3 WCHA) completed its season sweep of the Michigan Tech Huskies (5-26-1, 4-22-0 WCHA) with another 5-2 victory Saturday night. The Badgers were powered by two goals apiece by senior forwards Aaron Bendickson (Thief River Falls, Minn.) and Andy Bohmbach (Hudson, Wis.) in the victory. The win puts Wisconsin in sole-possession of second place in WCHA standings heading into the final weekend of conference play. Unlike Friday night, Wisconsin got on the board first. Just over five minutes into the game, sophomore defenseman Jake Gardiner (Minnetonka, Minn.) gave the Badgers the 1-0 advantage. After junior tri-captain Ryan McDonagh (Arden Hills, Minn.) rifled a slapshot on net, the rebound found Gardiner. He took control of the puck and skated around Husky netminder Josh Robinson, who was out of his crease. From there, Gardiner stuffed the puck into the back of the net, giving UW the early goal-advantage. Senior forward John Mitchell (Neenah, Wis.) started the scoring sequence by tallying the secondary assist. At the 12:51 mark of the same period, senior forward Andy Bohmbach (Hudson, Wis.) made the game a 2-0 Wisconsin advantage. After freshman forward Craig Smith (Madison, Wis.) slung the puck towards the net, it fluttered off of Bohmbach and trickled into the open net. Robinson was anchored in the left side of the net for Michigan Tech, and Bohmbach misdirected the puck into the right side. The Badgers now skated with a 2-0 lead. That would be all the scoring the opening 20 minutes would see. Wisconsin carried over its prominent shots-on-goal production from Friday night, outshooting MTU, 20-11, in the first period. However, just before the halfway point of the second period, Michigan Tech got on the board. Sophomore forward Bryce Reddick scored his first-career collegiate on a rebound shot. The puck bounced off of Badger junior goaltender Scott Gudmandson (Sherwood Park, Alberta), and Reddick was there to make it a 2-1 game. Wisconsin failed to notch a goal in the second. But, heading into the final period, Wisconsin still skated with a 2-1 advantage. Shots-on-goal in the period were closer, with UW outshooting MTU, 15-12, in the second. But, at the 4:20 mark of the final period, Wisconsin regained its two-goal lead thanks to a goal by Bendickson. The Badgers suffocated the Husky defense for about two minutes of play. Eventually, Mitchell dug the puck out of a crowd of defenders behind the net and slid it to a wide open Bendickson. From there, Bendickson rifled a shot past Robinson, and Wisconsin was up, 3-1. Bendickson was at it again at the 10:36 mark of the same period. It was a near mirror image of his previous goal. Mitchell slid the puck from behind the net to an open Bendickson in the slot, and his slapshot soared past Richardson and into the back of the net. Wisconsin was now on top, 4-1. Junior forward Patrick Johnson (Madison, Wis.) tallied the secondary assist. With just over eight minutes to go in the game, Tech pulled back to within two goals. The Huskies dug the puck out of the corner and centered it into the front of the net. From there, Reddick got his second goal of the night. This cut things to a 4-2 Badger lead. However, just like Friday night's game, Bohmbach sealed the victory for Wisconsin. On an empty net with 18 seconds to go, Bohmbach made it an official 5-2 victory for the Badgers. The Badgers ended the game having outshot Tech, 50-32. This completed the season sweep of Michigan Tech for Wisconsin. In the four games against the Huskies, the Badgers outscored them, 24-6. Gudmandson's record climbed to 13-3-4 on the season after the win after he halted 30 Husky shots. For the Huskies, Robinson stopped 45 Badger attempts, as his record fell to 1-9-0 on the season. The Badgers head west next weekend for their final regular-season series. Wisconsin squares off against border-rival Minnesota in an odd Friday-Sunday series. Puck drop for Friday night is at 7 p.m., and Sunday's matchup gets underway at 1 p.m.

Badgers can keep lead, fall to Buffalo

Sat, 6 Mar 2010 13:48:00 +0000

SAN DIEGO, Calif. -- The Bulls trailed by four in the fifth, but they rallied back in the bottom of the inning and took the lead, which spurred Buffalo to an 8-4 win over the Wisconsin Badgers (4-11) at USD Softball Complex in the San Diego Classic on Saturday. Andi Saucier led off with a walk in the bottom of the fifth and was driven home by a double from Alexander Bejarano. The Bulls would then score three more runs in the inning before Taylor Franich came to the plate and gave the Bulls the lead with a single scoring Kristin Waldron from third. Franich drove in two Bulls (5-5) runners. She went 2-3 at the plate. Molly Spence drove in two Badgers runners. Spence homered in the first inning scoring Shannel Blackshear. Wisconsin is used to seeing big plays from Spence, who has been excellent this season with a OPS of .975. On the season she has 12 hits in 35 at bats. She has driven in seven runners and scored six runs. Sharon Barr earned the win for Buffalo. She allowed two runs over 3 2/3 innings. The senior pitcher struck out three, gave up no walks and surrendered five hits. Reliever Meghan McIntosh took the loss for Wisconsin. She went 1 1/3 innings, gave up one walk, struck out none, and allowed four runs. Waldron and Candice Sheehan helped lead the Bulls. They combined for four hits, five RBIs and three runs scored. Wisconsin's next game is on Sunday, March 7 against Cal Poly San Luis Obispo in San Diego, Calif. in the San Diego Classic. Powered by Narrative Science Inc.

Prahalis, Lavender help OSU pull away from UW

Sat, 6 Mar 2010 21:07:00 +0000

INDIANAPOLIS (AP)—Samantha Prahalis scored 29 points and Jantel Lavender added 27 to help No. 10 Ohio State beat Wisconsin 82-73 in a Big Ten tournament semifinal Saturday. Lavender, the Big Ten player of the year, also had nine rebounds and three blocks. Tayler Hill added 14 points and six rebounds for Ohio State, which won all three games against Wisconsin this season. The Buckeyes (29-4) will defend their tournament championship Sunday against Iowa, which beat No. 25 Michigan State 59-54 in the early game. Alyssa Karel scored a career-high 31 points and made all five of her 3-pointers for Wisconsin (21-8). Lin Zastrow scored 14 points and Teah Gant added 12 for the Badgers. The Badgers shot 46 percent a day after shooting 51 percent in a 73-51 win over Purdue. Wisconsin had averaged 71 points in its previous five games. Wisconsin made five of its first seven shots to take an early 13-9 lead. Lavender, a 6-foot-4 center, picked up her second foul with 7:15 left in the first half and Wisconsin leading 28-24. The Buckeyes hung tough without her, but Wisconsin shot 55 percent in the first half to lead 41-37 at the break. It was a well-played first half, with six ties and just seven turnovers between the teams. Karel scored 14 points for the Badgers, while Prahalis scored 11 for the Buckeyes. A 3-pointer by Karel rattled in and gave Wisconsin a 46-39 lead early in the second half. Ohio State responded with a 7-0 run, including a 3-point play by Lavender, that tied the score at 46. The Buckeyes finally took the lead when Prahalis drained a 3-pointer from the left wing to give Ohio State a 62-60 lead with just over nine minutes to play. The lead seesawed until the final minutes, but Ohio State began to pull away after Prahalis converted a 3-point play to give the Buckeyes a 78-72 lead with 1:42 left. Wisconsin shot over 50 percent for most of the game, but didn't make a field goal for the final 4:17. Lavender struggled early before dominating the second half. She went 5-for-9 from the field and 9-for-10 from the free throw line for 19 points after the break. Prahalis gave the Buckeyes the outside punch to balance Lavender with four 3-pointers. She made all 11 of her free throws in the second half.

Badger score 12 runs in romp

Sat, 6 Mar 2010 07:35:00 +0000

SAN DIEGO, Calif. -- The Wisconsin Badgers could have played just the first inning and beaten the San Diego Toreros on Friday. They won 12-1 at USD Softball Complex in the San Diego Classic after a 10-run explosion in the inning in a game that was ended in the fifth by the eight-run rule. In the first, Kaitlin Healy gave up one run on a Molly Spence single. Later that inning, two runs came in when Kendall Grimm singled and runs came in when Grimm and Ashley Hanewich came home on illegal pitches, Karla Powell walked and Maggie Strange, Jordan Skinner, Shannel Blackshear and Spence hit singles. Grimm drove in two Badgers (4-10) runners. San Diego (3-8) was unable to make good contact against Meghan McIntosh. The Toreros managed two hits off of the freshman pitcher. McIntosh allowed one earned run, three walks and struck out two during her five innings of work. Healy lasted just one-third of an inning in the circle for the Toreros before being replaced. She allowed four hits and eight runs. San Diego got things going in the fourth inning, but by then it was too little too late. After Jennifer Ellenbeck walked and Celeste Soto doubled, the Toreros were trailing by 12 when Taylor Hensley came to the plate against McIntosh with no outs and runners on second and third. She flew out scoring Ellenbeck from third. The Badgers pummeled Toreros pitching as five hitters combined for five hits, five RBIs and 10 runs scored to help lead Wisconsin to victory. With the victory Wisconsin snapped a three game losing streak. The victory was the first for Wisconsin since Feb. 21 against Florida International. Powered by Narrative Science Inc.

Badgers beat Gophers, 3-2

Fri, 5 Mar 2010 22:44:00 +0000

Wisconsin scored a late goal and Minnesota had three goals disallowed as the Badgers pulled out a 3-2 victory on Friday at Target Center. The Badgers' Craig Smith scored his second goal of the game with 4:12 left to break a 2-2 deadlock and give Wisconsin the victory. Minnesota, meanwhile, had an apparent goal disallowed in each period. The game was played at the Target Center in Minneapolis and drew 14,422 fans. It was the first college hockey game at the venue since the 2000 Western Collegiate Hockey Association Final Five. Wisconsin, ranked third nationally, has won four of the past five meetings with the Gophers and improved to 22-8-4 overall and 17-7-3 in the WCHA. Minnesota dropped to 16-17-2 overall and 11-14-2 in the league. Minnesota spent much of the opening period shorthanded and got the game's first goal during a Wisconsin power play when Ryan Flynn notched his second goal of the season. Flynn picked off a Badgers' pass in his own zone and wristed a shot from the right faceoff circle for an unassisted goal at the 4:16 mark. Wisconsin scored a pair of power play goals in the period to take a 2-1 lead. Smith picked up his first goal at the 6:53 mark and Justin Schultz got the second at the 17:36 mark. The Badgers owned a 13-5 advantage in shots during the period and scored on two of their four power plays. Minnesota nearly had a goal late in the first period when Jacob Cepis raced down the ice and fired a shot that hit off the crossbar and landed on the goalline. Video replay confirmed that the puck did not cross the line. Replay was a major factor in the second period as well when Mike Hoeffel had an apparent goal disallowed three minutes into the stanza. The Gophers were on a five-on-three power play and Cade Fairchild launched a shot from the point that Hoeffel tipped into the net. However, a lengthy review found that Hoeffel was in the crease and took the goal away. Minnesota's defense held Wisconsin to just two shots in the second period with both coming in the final two-and-a-half minutes of the period. The Gophers held a 10-2 advantage in shots for the period. Nick Larson tied the game at the 2:13 of the third period by tipping in on a long shot from the point by Kevin Wehrs. Nico Sacchetti also assisted the play. It was Larson's fourth goal of the season and his second in three games. Smith picked up the game winner with an assist from Blake Geoffrion in the closing minutes. The Badgers had only eight shots in the third period and finished the game with 23 shots. Minnesota had 27 shots for the game as Scott Gudmanson made 25 saves for Wisconsin. Alex Kangas finished with 20 saves for Minnesota. Wisconsin finished 2-for-5 on the power play, while Minnesota did not score in six chances. The teams play again on Sunday at Mariucci Arena at 1 p.m. in the regular season finale for both teams.

Wisconsin advances with win over Purdue

Fri, 5 Mar 2010 20:28:00 +0000

INDIANAPOLIS – Wisconsin scored on its first possession of the game and never looked back as the fourth-seeded Badgers defeated fifth-seeded Purdue 73-51 in the quarterfinal round of the Big Ten Tournament before 7,153 fans at Conseco Fieldhouse on Friday night. For the second year in a row, Wisconsin (21-9, 10-8 Big Ten) advances to Saturday's Big Ten Tournament semifinals. The Badgers will face top-seeded Ohio State at 6:30 p.m. CT. The Buckeyes defeated ninth-seeded Illinois 66-55 in Friday's third quarterfinal game. Junior Alyssa Karel became the 20th Badger to score 1,000 career points when she hit a three with 12:34 to play, giving UW a 53-36 lead. Karel led Wisconsin with 14 points on the evening, bringing her career total to 1,005 points. Senior Rae Lin D'Alie posted 13 points, four rebounds, four assists and four of the Badgers' 10 steals. Junior Tara Steinbauer finished with 10 points, seven boards and three assists. Lin Zastrow also had 10 points and eight rebounds for the Badgers. UW outscored Purdue 34-20 in the paint. Purdue (14-15, 9-9 Big Ten) was led by Fahkara Malone's 11 points and Ashley Wilson's seven rebounds. The Badgers shot 30-of-59 (50.8 percent) from the field to Purdue's 17-of-50 (34.0 percent). UW out-rebounded the Boilermakers 35-32 and had just 14 turnovers compared to 19 by Purdue. Wisconsin wasted no time getting on the scoreboard as Zastrow won the opening tip and D'Alie drained a three just 14 seconds into the game. The Badgers jumped out to a 15-2 lead over the opening 7:31 before Purdue trimmed the lead to eight at 28-20 with 7:20 remaining in the half. The Boilermakers then failed to score from 7:20 to 1:51 while Wisconsin rattled off eight straight points to lead 36-23. Jade Davis hit a three with 30 seconds remaining in the first stanza to give Wisconsin its largest lead of the half at 41-23 and the Badgers took a 41-25 lead into the locker room. Steinbauer led all players with 10 points, six rebounds and three assists in the first half, and Wisconsin went 18-of-34 (52.9 percent) from the field in the opening half compared to Purdue's 9-of-27 (33.3 percent). The Badgers out-rebounded the Boilermakers 19 to 11 in the opening 20 minutes. The second half was all Wisconsin. D'Alie hit a three with 16:45 on the clock to give UW a 21-point lead at 48-27. Purdue used a 7-0 run to come within 14 at 48-34 with 13:56 to play, but Wisconsin quickly extended its lead back to 21 at 63-42 with 8:43 on the clock. The Badgers' largest lead of the game was 24 at 73-49 with just 1:14 remaining in the game. The Boilermakers were 0-for-7 from 3-point range in the second half for a game-total of 4-of 17 (23.5 percent) while Wisconsin was 8-of-17 (47.1 percent) from beyond the arc. Thirteen Badgers saw action in tonight's game for the first time since Wisconsin's 62-46 win over Robert Morris on Dec. 15, 2009. UW's bench totaled 18 points, but Purdue's reserves put up 23 points. Saturday's first semifinal will feature second-seeded Michigan State and third-seeded Iowa. The Spartans and Hawkeyes will tip off at 4 p.m. CT. Michigan State defeated Michigan 61-50 in the first quarterfinal while Iowa advanced with an 82-75 win over Penn State. The Big Ten Championship game is slated for 3:30 p.m. CT on Sunday and it will air live on ESPN2.

Bulldogs score late victory over Badgers

Fri, 5 Mar 2010 20:18:00 +0000

SAN DIEGO, Calif. -- Morgan Melloh brought home the go-ahead run to give No. 21 Fresno State the lead in the fifth inning and the Bulldogs hung on to beat Wisconsin 3-1 on Friday. After Nicole Angene walked the game was tied when Melloh came to the plate against Letty Olivarez with one out and runners on second and third. She hit a sacrifice fly scoring Diane Runge from third, which gave the Bulldogs the lead for good. Nine strikeouts helped Melloh get the victory for Fresno State (10-4). She allowed one earned run on six hits and four walks over seven innings. Haley Gilleland drove in two Bulldogs runners. She went 2-4 at the plate. Gilleland singled in the fifth and seventh innings scoring K. Pollard. Fresno State scored in two innings to claim the victory. The Bulldogs scored two runs in the fifth and one run in the seventh. Wisconsin (3-10) got things going in the sixth inning. After Molly Spence doubled the Badgers were trailing by two when Shannel Blackshear came to the plate against Melloh with one out and a runner on second. She doubled scoring Spence from second. Wisconsin is going through a rough part of the season. The Badgers have now lost three games in a row. The Badgers last won on Feb. 21 against Florida International. Wisconsin's next game is on Saturday, March 6 against Buffalo in San Diego, Calif. in the San Diego Classic. Powered by Narrative Science Inc.

Wisconsin men lose close one to Notre Dame

Sun, 28 Feb 2010 21:52:00 +0000

MADISON, Wis. – After going head-to-head against a tough No. 41 Notre Dame team, the Wisconsin Badgers dropped the match 4-3 to the Fighting Irish. The match fell on the shoulders of sophomore Patrick Pohlmann who went the distance in a three-set decision, but eventually fell short to give Notre Dame the victory. After making it a team priority to succeed in doubles, the Badgers were successful in snatching the crucial doubles point from the Fighting Irish to start, what proved to be, a very tight match. Wisconsin opened the dual match with a quick 8-4 doubles victory from junior Marek Michalicka and senior Luke Rassow-Kantor at the No. 2 slot. Next, senior Michael Dierberger teamed up with freshman Ricardo Martin to capture an 8-3 win in the No. 3 spot which secured the doubles point for Wisconsin. Senior Moritz Baumann and Pohlmann lost their match 8-5 against a competitive Notre Dame duo. With Wisconsin leading 1-0 after doubles play, the Irish were looking for vengeance and turned up the heat in singles. Rassow-Kantor extended the Badger lead to 2-0 with his swift 6-3, 6-1 victory over Matt Johnson. David Anderson retaliated for Notre Dame by defeating Martin 6-3, 6-2, marking the first point for the Fighting Irish. Freshman Chris Freeman finished next for UW in the No. 5 spot. After taking Samuel Keeton to a close 10-8 first-set tiebreak, the Badger eventually dropped his match, losing in a close 7-6 (10-8), 6-1 heartbreak. This loss leveled out the match score, with both teams sitting at 2-2. Despite Wisconsin's valiant effort, Notre Dame pulled ahead after winning at No. 1 singles. Earlier this season, No. 7-ranked Baumann defeated No. 28-ranked Casey Watt in two sets during the final round to claim his first singles title at the Wilson/ITA Midwest Regional Championships. This time around, Watt ended with the upper hand. Baumann opened the match by easily taking the first set 6-2.Watt responded with an equal 6-2 win in the second. In the third, the two ranked players battled it out, but Baumann fell just short, losing 6-4 in the third. At the No. 2 spot, No. 22-ranked Michalicka faced No. 123-ranked Stephen Havens. After Michalicka won the first set 6-4, Havens retaliated by taking the Badger to a second-set tiebreak. Havens won the tiebreak 7-5, forcing Michalicka to a third set. The UW junior jumped to a quick 4-1 lead in the third before Havens retired, giving Michalicka the win and tying the match score 3-3 between the two top-ranked schools. This added pressure to the sophomore and No. 73-ranked Pohmann to bring home the victory for Wisconsin. Pohlmann faced No. 101-ranked Daniel Stahl who claimed the first set 6-3. The Badger battled back, taking Stahl to a second-set tiebreak where Pohlmann won 7-4. After forcing the match to a third set, Pohlmann battled to win four games, but eventually fell to Stahl in a 6-3, 6-7 (4-7), 6-4 match, leaving the Badgers one point short of a victory. Wisconsin has a week off before they host a five-match home stretch when the Badgers return to action on Wednesday, March 10 against an unranked Marquette. #41 Notre Dame 4, #31 Wisconsin 3 Singles competition 1. #28 Casey Watt (ND) def. #7 Moritz Baumann (WISC) 2-6, 6-2, 6-4 2. #22 Marek Michalicka (WISC) def. #123 Stephen Havens (ND) 6-4, 6-7 (5-7), 4-1, retired 3. #101 Daniel Stahl (ND) def. #73 Patrick Pohlmann (WISC) 6-3, 6-7 (4-7), 6-4 4. David Anderson (ND) def. Martin, Ricardo (WISC) 6-3, 6-2 5. Samuel Keeton (ND) def. Chris Freeman (WISC) 7-6 (10-8), 6-1 6. Luke Rassow-Kantor (WISC) def. Matt Johnson (ND) 6-3, 6-1 Doubles competition 1. Stephen Havens/Casey Watt (ND) def. Moritz Baumann/Patrick Pohlmann (WISC) 8-5 2. Marek Michalicka/Luke Rassow-Kantor (WISC) def. Tyler Davis/Niall Fitzgerald (ND) 8-4 3. Martin, Ricardo/Michael Dierberger (WISC) def. David Anderson/Spencer Talmadge (ND) 8-3